Co-creating solutions with Samaj, Sarkar and Bazaar
While navigating the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy, industry and society, Samhita Social Ventures and IDFC Institute co-hosted
CSR: From the perspective of nonprofits
In consultation with 320 nonprofits across India it was found that, “The most reported challenge was a lack of long-term commitment from companies, causing uncertainty and instability among nonprofits. This was followed by a perceived lack of understanding on the part of companies about social issues and solutions, and an emphasis on achieving targets.”
Ragini Menon, Senior Associate and Anushree Parekh, Head of the research and knowledge team at Samhita along with Priyanka Dhingra, Head Programme and Executive Committee member at ATE Chandra Foundation, write about existing trends and challenges that nonprofits face, while highlighting critical aspects of the CSR ecosystem that need strengthening.
Investing CSR in Incubators
Authored by P.R. Ganapathy, President ( India), Villgro Innovations Foundation
After, USA and China, India has the largest incubator and accelerator ecosystem in the world. But few companies have sufficient information on this ecosystem to be able to invest in it.
Samhita, and Villgro, supported by GIZ are addressing this information asymmetry and facilitating partnerships between companies and incubators and social enterprises(SEs).
The traditional model of CSR involves selecting an NGO working in an area of your interest (livelihoods, education, etc.) and funding them for a specific project, say, training 500 women artisans, or setting up a computer lab in a school.
But, the smart CSR managers of today are asking harder questions of this model.
What happened to those women artisans after the training was completed? Who buys their products and connects them to consumers? Is the model sustainable? What do children actually learn from the computer lab? Who teaches them? What content is available? Who maintains the computers and the lab to ensure it continues to deliver value?
One way to find these answers is to partner with social enterprises or for-profit entities who use market-based approaches to solve social problems.
The next logical question is :
Expanding the Lense of Indian Corporate Social Responsibility
India has been at the forefront of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) paradigm, much before the introduction of Section 135 of Companies Act, 2013, which made CSR a regulatory requirement. As per data filed by companies on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal, around 20,000 companies had reported spending on CSR, with total spend amounting to INR 13,465 Cr in 16-17. Total public expenditure in 16-17 on agriculture and farmers
How can CSR be made more successful in India?
The CSR opportunity in India is expanding year on year, however, there are still some challenges and gaps that need to be addressed before companies can scale up their CSR initiative. Priya Naik, Founder and CEO, Samhita Social Ventures writes about how collaboration, innovation and eco-system building can bring about the next phase of CSR in India. Read her guest post on the CECP Insights blog here.
Optimising CSR for Rural Development
According to the 2011 census, 69 per cent of India
Demystifying the CSR law: with Nishith Desai
Nishith Desai, founder of Nishith Desai Associates led an enlightening discussion on approaching CSR strategically, building knowledge about the CSR and the various legislations affecting the development sector. The discussion was held with CSR and sustainability heads of India
Reaching the sweet spot of corporate volunteer programs
corporate volunteer programs Designing an employee volunteering program (EVP) that keeps employees engaged, is aligned with the objectives of the company, and actually benefits communities is not easy. Managing the expectations of all the stakeholders involved can be overwhelming for many.
In this article on the Forbes Business & Strategy blog, Samhita looks at employee volunteering and how companies can successfully engage their employees and keep them happy and fulfilled while simultaneously contributing to a good cause.
